There has been a lot of discussion in the media lately about the increased heart attack risk of people with “Type -D” personalities. An article about a recent study (actually a compilation of 19 studies) was published in the September 2010 issue of the journal “Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes” published by the American Heart Association.
Type D stands for “Distressed” and from what I have found it is characterized by traits like: “a tendency to experience negative emotions,’ including depressed mood, anxiety, anger, and hostile feelings.” which sounds to me like most cops.
“Type D patients tend to experience increased levels of anxiety, irritation, and depressed mood across situations and time, while not sharing these emotions with others because of fear of disapproval,” researcher Viola Spek, PhD, of Tilburg University in the Netherlands, said in a news release.
“The analysis revealed that heart patients with a Type D personality had a three-fold increased risk for future cardiovascular problems, such as peripheral artery disease, angioplasty or bypass procedures, heart failure, heart transplantation, heart attack or death.”
Does that sound like you? It does sound like me and most of the cops I know.
Reported By Jennifer Warner and Reviewed by Elizabeth Klodas, MD, FACC of WebMD Health News found”
“Although the reasons for higher risk among Type D patients are not clear, the researchers note that Type D personalities appear to respond differently to stress. This may increase levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood and may be related to higher levels of inflammation. Type D personalities may also be less likely to get regular checkups or communicate well with their doctors.”
Again, does that sound like you? Type D or not cops are at a higher risk of heart attack than the general population and we need to start doing something about it.
You may have heard about the research that John D. Violanti, PhD reported on last year while working with the Officers of the Buffalo, New York, Police Department.
Dr. Violanti is… Continue reading
Does your agency consider itself as “one big family”? Does your agency leverage all the support it can within the community? Do you involve, train and support the loved ones of the people you place in harms way?
Decker is a Foundation Professor and Director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University. Dr. Decker has been teaching in the field for over 30 years and was named a Fellow for the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences in 2007. He also serves on the Arizona P.O.S.T. Board which establishes Peace Officer Standards for Training. He has published several books on topics involving Juvenile Justice and Street Gangs.
Dan Zorich is Manager, Online Education for ASU’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and has also worked for over 35 years in Corrections, Probation and Parole programs in both Arizona and Illinois.
I had a chance to travel to Portland Oregon last month where I was privileged to be part of a summit of experts on police wellness issues that was hosted by the 
